He is good and always has been

Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, And turn unto the Lord your God: For he is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness, And repenteth him of the evil.

How many times have you heard that the God of the Old Testament was a hard God. You heard that He was bloody, that He was different than the God of grace in the New Testament. Well, read this verse.

God is full of grace and mercy. He doesn’t get angry easily. He is very kind. He hates to discipline. He is just good and full of love.

This verse is in the Old Testament. It is what a prophet is saying. It is not harsh. It is the opposite. The Old Testament people knew that they were alive because of the goodness of God. They knew that it was His goodness.